HomeMy WebLinkAboutHilary Back_8-FEB-26Subject: Please Protect the Cattle Creek Confluence from Unsustainable Development
from the proposed development known as the HARVEST ROARING FORK PUD
Name: Hilary Back
Email: hilary@backtobalancedoc.com
Phone number: (970) 963-1278
Message: Dear Mike,
I am writing with deep concern about the proposed large-scale development, HARVEST
ROARING FORK, at the Cattle Creek Confluence, where Cattle Creek meets the Roaring
Fork River. This area is one of the last intact open spaces along the river and is vital not only
to Garfield County, but to the health and sustainability of the entire Roaring Fork Valley —
including Pitkin and Eagle Counties.
Here are key reasons why this proposed project should not move forward as proposed:
1. Traffic, Safety & Infrastructure
Thousands of new vehicle trips would overwhelm Highway 82 and local roads, requiring
new traffic lights and stretching emergency response capacity. This puts residents at
greater risk.
2. Water Quality & Watershed Health
The Roaring Fork watershed is already under strain. A large development without robust
stormwater safeguards would increase runoff, pollution, and sediment, degrading water
quality for communities downstream.
3. Rural Character & Scenic Beauty
The proposed density — 1,500 residential units, up to 375 ADU’s, a 120 room hotel, and
55,000 square feet of commercial space on 283 acres — is fundamentally incompatible
with existing zoning and with the valley’s rural identity.
4. Public Services & Community Costs
The proposal does not account for the strain on schools, fire protection, EMS, and utilities.
This leaves existing taxpayers and communities to absorb the costs of growth.
5. Ecosystems & Wildlife
The confluence is a rich ecological corridor, home to bald eagles, herons, elk, deer, foxes,
trout, and migratory birds. Development of this scale would fragment critical habitat and
disrupt migration and breeding grounds.
This issue extends beyond Garfield County. Water quality, wildlife migration, and
development precedent will affect the broader valley — including Pitkin and Eagle
Counties. Our region must prioritize sustainable growth that protects natural resources and
community well-being.
I respectfully urge you to reject this development as proposed and to protect the Cattle
Creek Confluence for current and future generations.
Thank you for your leadership and for listening to the concerns of residents across the
Roaring Fork Valley.
Sincerely,
Hilary Back